American Red Cross Swim Lesson Guide

6 months-18 months W/Parents in the water. 

This class is an orientation class for parents to introduce their babies to the water through games and songs in our warm water therapy/instructional pool. Skills practiced include floating on back and front, kicking, blowing bubbles & underwater exploration (all with parental support).

18 months – 3 yrs. W/Parents in the water 

Toddling Turtles is for children who have already taken Bubble Babies, or who are just starting lessons for the first time. This class reviews and expands the skills learned in Bubble Babies by adding arm action with kicking to teach the basic movements of swimming. The instructor shows parents how to teach their children through games and songs in our Therapy/Instructional pool.

3 yrs-5 yrs | Max students 6

Water Exploration is a new addition to our program, and was added to help those children who are not quite ready to leave their parents or have had no experience in swim lessons before. This class was designed to gradually shift the child’s dependency onto the instructor and relieve some of that separation anxiety. The skills include all of those taught in Level I. This class is strongly recommended for children who are not ready to take level I by themselves, or are afraid of the water. (This class meets in the Therapy/Instructional pool.) Parental assistance during the first four lessons is required.

This class is for children who are at least 3 years old and no longer have a fear of the water or separation anxiety. Skills taught include submerging head & blowing bubbles, basics of front & back floats, alternating arm & leg actions on front & back (front crawl & back crawl), simultaneous arm & leg actions (breaststroke & elem. backstroke), basics of treading & water safety.

Level II is for children who have passed all of the skills taught in Level I & those who are comfortable with having their face in the water. Skills taught include floating on front & back without support, gliding, combined arm & leg actions on front & back (front & back crawl, elem. backstroke & breaststroke), swimming on side, & treading.

Level III is a class based on developing strokes such as front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, & development of the breaststroke & butterfly kick. Students learn diving, rotary breathing, & to tread water independently. Students must be able to support themselves in the water, including deep water, and have some level of endurance to participate in this class.

Level IV is for those students who know the basics of each stroke and have enough endurance to swim a length of the pool. Skills include defining the specifics of strokes such as front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly, back crawl, elem. backstroke, and learning sidestroke. Students learn standing dives, treading water independently, and open turns

This level focuses on building endurance and refining strokes such as front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly, back crawl, elem. backstroke, & sidestroke to perfection. Students learn starts, flip turns, and variations of treading water. Students must know rhythmic breathing and have proper body positioning and motion during strokes for this level.

Level VI is based mainly on endurance, and each stroke must be close to perfection. Students learn the fundamentals of fitness swimming, water exercise, turns, and safety skills.